The Weirkey Chronicles Omnibus: Books 1-3 by Sarah Lin

Author:Sarah Lin [Lin, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Theo tapped his fingers along the top of his tiles, pretending to look over them. In actuality, his combination was worthless, which he'd known from the beginning, and his only goal was to bluff through the round. Around the table, the young nobles whose names he couldn't remember watched him, uncertain how the match will go.

"I'll take the odds." He didn't put any confidence into his voice that could have sounded like bluster, it was just a simple statement. Theo reached out and dropped more Silver Crowns into the pile, then watched his opponent without any expression.

Across the table, the noble of the Evigne family tried to look confident, but his facade was obvious. Theo bided his time by wondering if he had been that obvious when he was young. Most likely he had - on the few occasions when he'd gambled for sublime materials, he'd been fixated on having unbeatable combinations, which made for dramatic finishes, but it was a mathematically unwise strategy overall. Not that bluffing and failing would be good for him, in a Deuxan court.

"Do you really gamble for blood on Fithe?" The noble stared at him a moment longer, then suddenly grinned and knocked his tiles over. "I'm out. You've got to be cheating, Bartolo."

Here, that was essentially a compliment. Theo carelessly turned his tiles face down and placed them with the others, hiding the fact that he'd had absolutely nothing. He was glad to sweep the pile of winnings over to his side, but didn't feel particularly satisfied about it: playing against children might as well be rigged odds.

But he had no interest in games, just in the benefits. The money he'd earned gambling was a pittance compared to the information he'd learned about the upcoming hunt, notably common strategies and the limits of the rainhorn region. Perhaps more importantly, he'd learned that a few lesser noble houses without good hunters were desperate to buy antlers to improve their standing, which could be exploited when the contest began.

He needed to relocate throughout the city, though, or he'd attract too much attention. So long as he didn't win too much or make a name for himself, he could increase their earnings in the evenings and pick up a few more sublime emblems. Better than nothing, and since Nauda and Fiyu were deep in their own soulcrafting, he had nothing better to do.

It worked out well, so long as Senka didn't manage to tag along. The one time she had done so, she'd gone out of her way to make the night a living hell.

They tried to get him to stay and play a while longer, but Theo made excuses and bowed out. He wasn't only planning to gamble, he also intended to visit the court library. A heavy pack of family emblems hung in one coat pocket, which he hoped would be enough. It would have been nice if he'd managed to get someone to bet a major sublime material or armament, but this would do.

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